Series:
Coltons of Colorado (Book 4)
To protect her baby…
She must share her secret
A stalker's lie came between single mother Rachel Colton
and the father of her child. Now the man she never forgot has moved to their
small Colorado town, and Rachel must tell James Kiriakis about the
six-month-old daughter he never knew existed. But in pursuit of James, a deadly
criminal has trailed him to Blue Larkspur and won't let the fragile family have
a moment's peace -- planning on only the most lethal of reunions.
Terrific book that sucked me in from the start and kept
me hooked to the end. Rachel is the brand-new DA for the town of Blue Larkspur,
Colorado. Over the last few months, she has met the challenge of balancing her
work life with her life as a single mother. As the daughter of the corrupt
judge, Ben Colton, Rachel feels the extra burden of ensuring that all her cases
are as air-tight and transparent as possible. Like her eleven brothers and
sisters, Rachel goes the extra mile to put distance between herself and her
notorious father. On the personal side, she often thinks of baby Iris's father,
a fellow lawyer she met at a conference. She never told him about the baby
because she later found out he was engaged and didn't want to complicate his
life.
James needs to leave Denver and lands a new job in Blue
Larkspur. A woman he dated turned out to be a stalker, and nothing he has done
has stopped her. He hopes that moving away will put him out of reach. An added
incentive to taking the position in Blue Larkspur is the hope of reconnecting
with Rachel, whom he has not forgotten.
I loved the first encounter between James and Rachel.
Both were in a hurry and literally ran into each other, ending up on the floor.
Rachel was shocked to see James, while he was thrilled to see her. When she
learns James has moved to town, she knows she must tell him about Iris and
makes arrangements to have dinner with him. But when their dinner is
interrupted, her confession is put on hold. I could feel Rachel's nervousness
as the time drew nearer. Her second attempt involved inviting James to her
home, where James received the shock of his life. As they discuss the events
that led up to this moment, they discover that outside forces kept them apart.
Determined to make up for lost time, James throws himself
into fatherhood. I loved how he immediately stepped up and insisted on being
part of Iris's life. There were some sweet scenes of the learning process, and
I enjoyed the hints of vulnerability as James faced situations far outside his
experience. Though wary at first, Rachel quickly realizes James's desire to be
a real father to Iris. And as James and Rachel spend more time together, with and without
Iris, the sparks between them continue to grow.
I enjoyed watching the relationship between James and
Rachel develop. James is all-in, his initial attraction developing into
stronger feelings as he gets to know Rachel. I especially enjoyed how some of
their interactions seemed like scenes from a courtroom with their lawyerly
language but very personal actions. As strange and dangerous events occur, his
protective instincts are aroused, and he is determined to protect Rachel and
Iris. He also worries that he may have brought danger to their doorstep. Rachel
feels herself falling for James but tries to keep some distance between them.
She has trust issues with men thanks to her father, and taking that last step
proves very difficult. It takes nearly losing him forever for Rachel to let go
of her fears and open herself up to risking her heart. The ending was terrific.
The suspense of the story was terrific. On the one hand,
we have James's stalker issue. Though he hoped to have escaped it, we learn
early in the book that his stalker has not given up. On the other hand, DA
Rachel lives with the constant threat of retribution from the criminals she
prosecutes. One case in particular links to her father and causes a great deal
of stress for her and her family. As attacks on Rachel escalate, James is
convinced that his stalker is behind them, while Rachel believes they are related
to her current case. I loved James's protectiveness and determination to keep
her safe. When the final confrontation came, I loved Rachel's cool head as she
tried to talk the culprit out of their plans. James's fear for her safety was
evident, and I loved how they worked together to protect Iris. I was glued to
the pages until it was all over. Of course, while one problem was dealt with,
the other continued to evade resolution. I can't wait to see how it progresses
over the following books.
Another thing I enjoyed about this book was seeing more
of Isadora (Isa) Colton, the widowed mother of the Colton siblings. I've been
impressed with her strength as her story has unfolded. Since the first book in
the series, it has been evident that the police chief, Theo, has a special
place in his heart for Isa, though she seemed oblivious to it. I loved seeing
Rachel turn Isa's advice not to let the past interfere with the future around
on Isa herself. I look forward to seeing how that relationship progresses.
No comments:
Post a Comment